Kharge on Congress CLP meet to decide Karnataka CM: 'High command will send their decision...'

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the observers sent by the party to Bengaluru will give their opinion to the high command on who should become the next chief minister of Karnataka after the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting this evening. Notably, Karnataka Pradesh Congress committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah are the two main contenders for the post of chief minister.

"Our observers have gone to Bengaluru, there will be a CLP meeting once they reach. After the CLP meet, they will share their opinion with the high command, and then they (high command) will send their decision from here," Mallikarjun Kharge said speaking to reporters.

The Congress has appointed Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh, and Deepak Babaria as observers to oversee the election of the leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP).

Kharge, speaking to reporter separately on Sunday, said: "People of Karnataka have rejected BJP and brought the Congress party back to power. People have given us a record number of votes. We will implement all 5 promises that we made to the public in our manifesto after we form our cabinet."

No differences with Siddaramaiah, says Shivakumar

Earlier in the day, DK Shivakumar, when questioned about his differences with Siddaramaiah, outrightly refused any such rift and said he has always co-operated with the former CM.

“Some people say that I have differences with Siddaramaiah but I want to clear that there is no difference between us. Many times I have sacrificed for the party and stood with Siddaramaiah ji. I have given cooperation to Siddaramaiah”, DK Shivakumar told reporters.

With the Congress party's recent victory in the state, the race for the post of Karnataka's chief minister has heated up. Supporters of both leaders have launched a poster campaign ahead of the Congress Legislative Party meeting scheduled for this evening.

Congress scripts biggest victory in Karnataka in last 3 decades

On Saturday, the Congress party won back power in Karnataka, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in its only stronghold in the southern region. The grand old party secured 135 out of 224 seats with a vote share of 42.88%, surpassing the majority requirement of 113.

Since securing 132 seats in 1999, the Congress party's recent triumph in the state of Karnataka marks its most significant accomplishment. In the 2018 elections, the party had only won 80 seats and received a vote share of 38%.

The Congress party managed to sweep the Old Mysuru, Mumbai Karnataka, Hyderabad Karnataka, and Central Karnataka regions, while the BJP was only able to retain its hold on the Coastal Karnataka region, with a mixed outcome in Bengaluru.

This victory in Karnataka is a major boost for the Congress party as it prepares for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh later this year.